Plans for 2012

Obviously, right out of the gate there is the ‘Dopey’ Challenge in Disney (42.4M in a weekend), I will cover that in a bit more detail before I race it, but the main plan is to do the same as 2011, take it easy early and hope to PB the full marathon on the Sunday.

After that I have planned to do a half-marathon the last weekend in January. It is one I have wanted to do the last few years, but either injury or double-booking has meant I haven’t. Then the following weekend I will be doing a leg of the Cross-Island Relay, 6 people run 4M legs along the length of the island.

I had been thinking about racing the “Off the beaten track” 50K Ultra-Marathon at the end of February, but once I put my Sensible Hat on I concluded pretty quickly that it wasn’t the right thing to do. It’s another 7 weeks of hard training after Disney, it is also a race that involves bush-trekking and water crossings, which really aren’t what I want to be doing when out on a run. The idea and the challenge of running 50K are appealing but the actual race, not so much.

Once the races are completed I will be taking some time away from running. I can feel my body is right on the edge at the moment, I am feeling strong in the run up to Disney (pardon the pun), but after the races I have planned I know it will be time for a rest, and it will need time to recover; something I didn’t do enough of at the start of last year. My plantar facititis is starting to play up so I want some complete rest to try and get it under control again. Not to mention the fact that it will be very nearly 18 months of almost continuous training, not just running but actual training for events. I would like a break and then just get back to running for fun for a bit.

As for races later in the year, I can say for a fact that we will not be back in Disney for January 2013. Having trained over Christmas for 3 years now, I want a break, so we will be heading back to the UK this December for a visit, so there will be no chance of a Disney trip after that.

The main goal of 2012 is going to be working on my running form. I don’t think there is too much wrong, but I am intrigued by the minimalist and barefoot movement that has sprung up in the last 12-18 months. I really want to try some of the new types of shoes, as I have read and heard good things about how it can help people with the problems I have in my feet. It is the complete opposite of what my podiatrist has told me which will be interesting to see.

To this end, I only plan to concentrate on short distances (5 and 10K),no long runs ( a long run being further than 10M) whilst trying out the new shoes and working on tweaking my form. If I can get my speed up then if I decide to do some longer races in the future it will help!

I had been planning to go back for the Wine & Dine half marathon in Disney, but it has moved to November, it is still doable, but I am not committing to anything at the moment. It is a lot of expense, so I would feel the need to go through a rigorous training plan to make the most of it, which I can’t commit to if I am working on my running form. If I race anything longer than 10K in 2012 it would most likely be the Cayman Half at the beginning of December, right before we head back to the UK.

So a much easier year than 2011, but I have said that before, and look where it led me!